


Wild Things

by Anatemnein



Category: Designing Women
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21771790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatemnein/pseuds/Anatemnein
Summary: Anthony decides to spice up his relationship with Julia by taking her camping.
Relationships: Anthony Bouvier/Julia Sugarbaker
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Thanks for reading and commenting on my work.

~~~~

“Charlene, have you seen those old catalogs I was flipping through the other day?”

Charlene looked up from her desk and shook her head. “No, Julia, I’m sorry, I know you laid them down on top of your desk, but after that I don’t know where they went.”

Julia sighed and dropped the stack of magazines she was holding on her desk in defeat. “Oh, this is hopeless. I needed those catalogs for that concept board!”

“You mean the one you were working on for the Lewis’?” 

“Yes, that one. They’re coming over here this afternoon, and I had just one piece left to cut out of that catalog I was using the other day, and now I can’t find it” Julia said, tugging in frustration at her suit jacket and walking over to the sofa, plopping onto it and looking angrily at the concept board that rested atop the coffee table in front of her. 

“Maybe you can ask Mary Jo and Suzanne when they get back...?” Charlene ventured hesitantly, fiddling nervously with her pen.

Julia rolled her eyes and slowly turned her head toward her. “Charlene, for the umpteenth and last time, I don’t know when either one of them will be back and I don’t have time to wait, as the Lewis’ will be here in an hour” she hissed through gritted teeth.

“Oh right...sorry” Charlene said sheepishly, shrinking back in her chair and praying someone else would walk through the door so she wouldn’t have to be alone with Julia while she was in a crabby mood. 

The universe seemingly responded to her pleas when the back door opened only a few minutes later and Anthony strolled inside, carrying some catalogs under his arm. 

“Anthony, have you seen my--” Julia called out to him, barely turning away from her concept board.

Anthony cocked an eyebrow at her as he dropped the catalogs on the coffee table in front of her. “Yes I have, and yes you did.”

Julia’s mouth dropped open in surprise as she looked at the stack he’d laid in front of her. “Well, what on earth--”

“Mm-hm, yes Ms. Sugarbaker, these do be the very catalogs that you told me you absolutely, positively would not forget in the van when we went to lunch the other day” he said as he sat down next to her.

Julia’s eyes widened with embarrassment, and behind her, Charlene smirked to herself at her desk as she watched them. If there was one thing she’d always enjoyed about Anthony--even before he dated Julia--it was his ability, and willingness, to put her in her place when she needed it. 

Julia turned a deep shade of pink and fumbled awkwardly with the stack. “Oh...oh well, yes, that, I do seem to remember...that...” she said, stumbling over her words. Anthony flashed her a knowing look, and she hesitated before sheepishly looking over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Charlene” she mumbled sheepishly.

“It’s okay, Julia” Charlene said, turning back to her work to keep from cracking too much of a grin. 

Julia looked down at the catalog in her lap and fumbled with the pages. “So, uh, how, how did things go?” she said, desperately trying to take the focus off of herself. 

Anthony bit back a smirk, watching her fiddle with the catalog. “They went fine, all our furniture is on track to be delivered to the Hamilton’s, and once the Lewis’ decide on their bit I can put in those orders too, if you want, since my job is just about complete.”

“Oh, no, no, that’s alright, Anthony, I can take care of my own work, thank you” she said, looking at him shyly through her lashes, and still feeling like a kid on the receiving end of a scolding. If there was one thing Anthony had as much as her, it was a brute force of a personality which, when wielded correctly, could make anyone on the receiving end of it cower in shame. It was one trait that they’d used on one another--both successfully and unsuccessfully--during a few heated arguments over the course of their two years together.

“Well alright then, whatever you want” he said, smiling at her before he stood to grab himself a cup of coffee. 

“Hey--” Julia said, stopping herself short and looking back over her shoulder to make sure Charlene had gone back to her work and already tuned them out. She turned back to him, satisfied that Charlene was in her own little world (as she’d been mouthing the words to ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’), and gave Anthony an expectant look. 

Anthony shot another glance over at Charlene before bending over the sofa and giving Julia a discreet kiss. 

“I missed you at lunch today” he said softly, watching her rise to her feet to follow him into the kitchen. 

“I missed you too, darlin’, I had to listen to Charlene prattle on about the goings on in Poplar Bluff for about 45 minutes while I poked at my salad.”

“Another salad for lunch?” Anthony asked, handing her a coffee cup.

“It was all we had left, I haven’t had a chance to go to the grocery store yet” she said, looking hopelessly down at the small refrigerator, which would usually be stocked with items from her personal fridge, as well as odds and ends the others brought in. 

“Mm, I can make a run while I’m out and about later on” he offered, handing her the creamer. 

“No, no, darlin’, I need to get myself out of the house and just go tonight, I need quite a lot of things anyway.”

“Well I’ll stay after and go with you then” he said, reaching over and caressing her lower back as he sipped his coffee.

Julia smiled and looked at him affectionately. “Hun, I told you, I can handle myself at the grocery store at night, I’ve done it for years before--”

Anthony shook his head. “No, no. Look, I know how you did things when you were on your own and all that, but I’m telling you this: when you date Anthony, and it gets dark outside, you are getting walked to your car, you are getting escorted to the store, you are even getting watched as you unlock your door and step inside the house after I drop you off after a date. I mean that. Dondi would have my hide from here to Memphis if she found out I let you walk alone in the dark.”

Julia giggled at him and shook her head, grateful that she'd somehow managed to get lucky enough to date the last man left whose grandmother had instilled all her vast sense and wisdom into him. She glanced over, still seeing Charlene singing to herself at her desk, and laid a gentle hand on Anthony's jacket, playfully rubbing her hand up and down his chest. 

"Have I told you lately that you're my favorite?" she whispered to him as she grinned shyly.

"Well, no, though I suppose you've told no one else that either, so I guess I feel okay about it" Anthony said teasingly, smirking as she whacked him on the chest. 

She shook her head and laid her coffee cup on the counter, happily accepting the kiss that he planted on her lips. Anthony pulled away teasingly, then kissed her again, and Julia could feel herself getting carried away--and also not really caring--as he slipped a firm hand around her waist. 

"Anthony," she said after a moment, pulling back and looking tenderly at him, "later, my love, we're at work right now." 

Anthony looked over at Charlene, who was now humming 'What's Love Got to Do With It?' under her breath, and pointed his head in her direction. "You know, I never really liked the rest of them" he said playfully, feeling Julia pinch him as she cried, "Anthony!" 

"Y'all got any plans for this weekend?" Charlene asked, looking up at them from her paperwork with a curious gaze.

"Well actually, Charlene," Anthony said slowly, "we just might."

"...We do?" Julia asked hesitantly, wracking her brain and fearing that she had forgotten something important. To her knowledge, they'd made no plans, and hadn't even discussed doing anything in particular, although they almost always did spend the weekend together.

"Yes we do" Anthony said, rounding the counter and sitting on the couch, hearing Julia follow closely behind him. "As a matter of fact, I was saving it as a surprise, but I was sort of hoping that you would be willing to join me this weekend for a bit of...camping" he said, popping his brows at her and looking curiously at her over the rim of his mug.

"...Camping?" Julia asked hesitantly, throwing Charlene a nervous look before looking back at him.

"Mm-hm," he answered, nodding as he laid his mug on the coffee table, "Dondi never could take me as a kid and, to be honest, I have always wanted to go, so I thought, why not get out of our element and into the elements and go camping?"

"Oh my gosh, that's so romantic" Charlene said in a rushed voice, looking at them adoringly. "That is just so sweet, I mean, the two of you, nothing but woods all around--"

"Thank you, Charlene" Julia said sternly, setting her mug on the coffee table and rubbing her hands together nervously. 

"What do you think, Julia?" Anthony asked, looking at her curiously.

"Well, darlin--'" she began to say before looking over at him. She stopped herself, noting the hopeful, pleading look in his eyes, and bit the inside of her lip before she said, "--well, why not?" in as jovial a tone as she could muster. Secretly, she wanted nothing more than to find a way to talk him out of the idea, but as she watched Anthony smile excitedly and nod happily at Charlene, she took in a deep breath and tried to convince herself that things would go better than she expected.


	2. Chapter 2

The tires clunked loudly over the gravel as Anthony slowly brought his car to a stop at the designated clearing their map had directed them to. He inhaled excitedly, glancing around briefly and then looking over at Julia as he said, "You ready, baby?"

Julia, for her part, was looking--not so happily--out at the grey, cool sky above them and at the leaves that decorated the ground as she slowly said, "Uh-huh", unable to find the energy to be more convincing. 

"It's gonna be fun, Julia, you'll see" he said, getting out of the car and reaching for the trunk, doing a mental count of their supplies before reaching inside and grabbing the tent from the car. 

"Are you sure about this, Anthony?" Julia asked, looking around curiously and seeing nothing but trees and grey sky for miles. She had made a mental note of the distance from the last gas station to where they were now (10 miles), and had silently been waffling over whether or not to feign illness so they could go back home. 

"Julia, I promise, I did my research. One of my buddies recommended this spot to me, it's perfectly safe. He and his wife go camping up here all the time" he said carefully as he tossed the tent stakes on the ground.

"Well, I know, Anthony, but aren't you also the same person who doesn't like to go out after dark?" Julia asked, wondering what had happened to the boyfriend who had sat nervously in the park with her nearly two years ago while they made out in his car. She liked that man a lot better.

Anthony sighed, laid the items in his hand on the ground, and gently rested his hands on her arms. "Baby, everything's going to be okay. Now I know I haven't exactly always been...macho...and I haven't been the toughest guy or the bravest or the first to say yes to an adventure, but I am willing to try something new so we can have a little fun and do something different for a change."

Julia cocked her head sympathetically. "Anthony, you don't have to be the toughest man there is--"

"Well...well, I know, but we do always do the same things over and over again. I know deep down, underneath all that gloss and glamour is a gung-ho woman waiting to be let out."

Julia swatted Anthony playfully as she giggled and reached for their cooler. "You are silly. I have plenty of room to be gung-ho at work, but since you're wanting to try something new, I will put aside my petty complaints and have a good time" she said, smiling as she looked at him over the brim of the cooler.

Anthony smiled as he looked at her, her petite frame almost entirely obscured from the waist up by the large, heavy box in her arms as he took it from her gently and said teasingly, "Better let me, oh reckless one. You stick with a lighter load."

She shifted, blushing shyly as she turned and grabbed their sleeping bags, and followed him to the clearing, watching quietly as he went about setting up their tent, taking inventory of their supplies, and lighting their gas lamps.

She promised herself that from here on she would have a new attitude.


	3. Chapter 3

The darkness that hung over them was thick and silent as Julia blinked slowly and shifted, rubbing her eyes gently as she raised herself up on one elbow and listened closely. She knew something had woken her, but she wasn't sure if it was outside of their tent, or merely in her dreams, so she sat up and listened, waiting for what she thought was the sound of rustling outside their tent.

After a few moments, she heard it again, a sort of soft grunting sound followed by something rustling around their cooler outside. She froze, her breath catching in her throat before she turned hastily and shook Anthony.

"Anthony, Anthony wake up!" she whispered frantically. 

"Mmmhmm?" he mumbled groggily, rolling slowly over to look at her.

"I think something's outside!" she said, looking at him with wide, frightened eyes and grabbing his forearm.

Anthony sat up slowly, blinking away the vestiges of sleep as he strained to hear what she was hearing. A moment of silence passed, and then another sound, a rustle, followed by a low soft grunt as he heard their cooler being shoved around in the grass outside. 

"Oh my god, Anthonyyyy!" Julia whimpered, scooting closer to him and frantically grabbing him.

"Julia, Julia, calm down, just...just calm down, I'm--I'll just uh...uh..." Anthony stammered, feeling a slight fear take hold in his chest as he listened to what he was pretty sure was a bear attempting to get to their weekend rations. 

"We're gonna die!"

"Julia, calm down, it can hear you--"

_"IT?!"_

"Julia!"

"Don't you _Julia_ me, I'm--"

Before she could say anything else, the sound suddenly stopped, and they heard slow footsteps retreating into the woods as the bear huffed in annoyance and disappeared slowly into the night. Anthony waited for a moment before unzipping their tent and peeking outside. 

_"No Anthony don't!"_

"It's gone--"

"I love you, Anthony!"

"Julia!" Anthony hissed, turning around to throw her a stern look, "it's gone. It was just a small bear, I can see him disappearing into the woods."

"Well, it could've been a big bear!"

Anthony shook his head and slowly got up, walking over to their cooler, which was a few feet away from their tent, and checking it for damage. It had a few claw and teeth marks, but nothing terrible, and he dragged it back to where it was supposed to be. He looked around, surprised to see that Julia hadn't followed him and peeked back inside the tent to see her still sitting there, her frightened, large eyes peeking at him from behind her sleeping bag.

"It's gone, baby. Ain't nothing but a little black bear" he said, climbing back in their tent and sitting down beside her.

"Oh...oh, well, that's...that's good. ...You were brave" she said, reluctantly pulling the sleeping bag away from her face and turning her head away from him briefly to make sure nothing else was out there.

"You're not gonna die out here, oh reckless one" he said, laying back down and looking at her teasingly.

"Well you're sure confident for someone who has never been camping" she said sarcastically, throwing him a glare as she scooted away from him and laid back down.

Anthony smirked as he looked over at her, her large eyes staring up at the tent as she lay stiffly on her back, still awaiting what he knew she thought was certain death.

"No, baby, I mean, you're not gonna die out here because I'm gonna protect you. Ain't nothing and no one messing with my girl" he said wearily as he closed his eyes.

"Mm, I'm sure" she said stubbornly, crossing her arms and looking around again.

"I did like your last words to me."

"Hmmph."

"'I love you, Anthony'. That was cute."

"I would like to suggest you stop being so incredibly foolish out here in bear country" Julia said, rolling her eyes at him.

Anthony smirked, leaning over to kiss her cheek gently before turning out the gas lamp. He laid down and after a few seconds, Julia spoke up.

"I love you, Anthony."

"I love you too, baby" he said, smiling to himself as he felt her scoot closer and turn toward him. He knew that, come morning time, she'd be resting her face against his arm the way she always did when they slept beside each other.


	4. Chapter 4

The first few rays of morning light shone inside the tent as Anthony blinked slowly, feeling their warmth slip across his face. He blinked, realizing slowly that Julia was not beside him, and looked around quickly, only to see her sleeping bag was empty. He furrowed his brow, immediately growing concerned, and rushed to unzip the tent and call out her name before something stopped him. He listened closely, and heard her just outside, humming softly to herself a few feet away. He slowly unzipped the tent and peeked outside to see her bent over the battery powered hot plate they'd brought with them, quietly stirring something in a small pot. He hesitated for a moment, watching as she tossed some berries in and swayed her head as she hummed before he stepped outside and walked over to her.

"What's going on out here, Julia Child?" he asked teasingly, looking down to see the oatmeal that she was stirring gently.

Julia smirked up at him. "What's going on is I am just as tough as you, so I thought I'd get up nice and early and make breakfast."

"You poison it?" he asked, cocking a brow at her.

She smirked, rolling her eyes at him before she said, "Blueberries and oatmeal? I think not. As foolish as you are, a bear will get you before I do."

Anthony grinned and leaned over to kiss her forehead before getting up to grab a few plates and spoons from the cooler. 

Julia turned off the hot plate and slowly walked over to where he was standing, gently spooning the oatmeal in their bowls before setting the pot aside and taking hers. They sat down on the grass, looking out at the horizon as the sun crept slowly up over the edge. The autumn weather had cooled everything considerably, and although they'd slept fairly well--huddled tightly against each other in their sleeping bags--Julia could feel the chill under her coat as she ate her breakfast.

"After this, you want to go for a morning hike?" she ventured, looking curiously at Anthony.

Anthony cocked a brow at her. "Well, well, are we becoming one with the wild, Ms. Sugarbaker?" he asked teasingly.

She rolled her eyes as she nudged him gently. "Noooo, I am not, I am merely freezing out here, and thought we could do something to get our blood moving and warm us up."

"We don't gotta hike to do that" Anthony said suggestively, spooning some oatmeal into his mouth.

"We are not having sex outdoors, Anthony" Julia said firmly.

He turned to her abruptly. "Julia! We're gonna be out here all weekend--"

"Anthony, it is cold out here. I am tired. You almost got eaten by a bear. And anyway, have you considered the logistics of having sex inside that thing?"

Anthony turned to look at their tent, which was looking a little half-hazard after last nights commotion. He twisted his lips in annoyance, knowing that she was right, and that it was indeed too cold out here for either of them to get undressed and shoved some more oatmeal into his mouth in annoyance. 

Julia smirked, seeing him pout like a child as he ate his breakfast and said softly, "Darlin', there are other ways we can have fun, you know? You wanted us to connect out here, after all."

"Hmmph" he mumbled, frowning at his bowl. 

She giggled, placing her empty bowl on the grass and leaning over to kiss his cheek. "Let's go for a hike when our breakfast has settled, hun. It'll give us a chance to reconnect a little. We'll have fun, you'll see."

Anthony pondered this for a moment before he shrugged and said, "Well, well okay. I guess you're right."

She giggled again and waited for him to finish his breakfast before taking both their bowls and setting them inside the plastic bag they'd brought for dirty, used dishes. Anthony followed her, waiting until she was done before lacing their fingers together and setting off on the trail as the sunlight trickled in through the trees. 

"Sleep okay last night?" Anthony asked, glancing over at her.

"Oh yeah, once my fear of dying wore off I was okay. Those sleeping bags kept us pretty warm" she said, smiling as she looked at the trees gently swaying up ahead.

"You know, I tease you a lot, but you're pretty tough for a woman like yourself" Anthony said, half-smiling at her. 

"What do you mean, 'a woman like myself'?"

"Well, you know, glamorous, very sophisticated, prim and proper, not a hair-above-the-lip-choppin'-wood type."

Julia chuckled and nudged him with her arm as she shook her head. "Anthony..."

"What, I'm serious, I mean, this ain't like you at all, but you're rolling with the punches."

"Well, you're not doing too bad yourself" she said, looking at him through her lashes.

"How do you mean? I grew up on the mean streets, Julia, I'm a man's man like any other man."

She smirked and shook her head. "Oh no you're not. You like to act tough, but deep down you're sensitive enough to work with four women who about drive you crazy, and you don't like going out after dark--or at least you didn't before. You play tough, but you're sensitive enough to love me, so you're not a macho guy either."

"Well now listen--"

"I like it that way."

"--I...huh?"

Julia smiled, giggling as she squeezed his hand as they walked beside one another. "I said I like it that way. I don't want a man who feels he has to prove himself. I want a man to be okay with being afraid, and being sensitive, who's good at listening...I like that about you, Anthony."

Anthony blushed slightly and looked down shyly. "Oh, well..."

"And for all that, when that bear showed up last night, you went out there without a second thought intending to protect me. That's a man's man to me."

Anthony smiled shyly and Julia giggled, resting her head briefly on his shoulder as they continued their hike. They came to a clearing and stopped, seeing a small, clear lake up ahead, all unbroken by the quiet stillness of the morning. 

"Beautiful out here" Julia said softly.

"Yeah, no kidding" Anthony said, looking around in amazement.

"Wonder what's in this lake?" she said, walking forward suddenly, bouncing over to the edge with an almost childlike curiosity. 

"Uh, Julia--"

"Might be some fish, for lunch?"

"Careful--"

Before he could say anything else, Julia lost her footing and fell face first into the lake. Anthony panicked, rushing forward and silently praying she wasn't injured as she emerged, coughing loudly and wiping at her face. 

"Hold on, Julia--"

She coughed again, shaking her head and frantically wiping the hair off of her face as she looked up at him, her hair completely drenched and her bottom half soaked as she sat up. 

"Oh my god" she muttered, looking down at herself and sniffling. 

"Don't worry, we're not that far from camp, we'll dry you off and go back home" Anthony said hurriedly, looking at her intently and trying to gauge her reaction.

She looked up at the sky, inhaled deeply, bit her lip and smiled at him. "No, no, it's okay, I'll just get dried off and it'll be fine" she said, attempting as jovial an attitude as she could muster.

"...Uh...yeah..." Anthony said slowly, still waiting for the meltdown he was sure was coming. He'd seen her fly off the deep end when throw pillows were delivered late, he knew there was no way something like this wouldn't send her over the edge. 

She hoisted herself out of the water with his help, smiling again and shaking herself off as best she could. "Really, it's fine, fine. No big deal. I said that I was going to approach this with a good attitude, and I meant that. I am not going to spoil your plans for us, so...so we'll just go back, and I'll get changed, and, and it'll be fine" she said, nodding her head and starting back--somewhat unsteadily as the water sloshed inside her boots--to their campsite.

"Well, well okay, baby, but you know, we could--"

"No, no," she said, shaking her head, "I mean it. This is a new leaf, and a new Julia. I will be fine."

Anthony bit back a smile as he watched her--wet hair and all--soldier on back to their camp. He had to admit he was touched by her attempt to remain cool and collected. He could tell that all she really wanted to do was throw in the towel, but--as she marched forward with determination--he couldn't help but admire her fortitude. 

They reached their campsite and she slowly undressed in the tent, peeling off layer by layer and adding another for each that she handed to him. Finally, she was changed, and Anthony walked over to where the fire pit was and started a small flame, hanging her clothes beside it, hoping that the heat would eventually circulate enough to dry them. In truth, he hadn't exactly prepared for this sort of thing, and was essentially just guessing his way through the best course of action. He slipped back inside their tent and sat down beside her at the entrance, touching her gently.

"Are you okay, Julia?"

"Huh?" she said, fixing one of his t-shirts over her wet hair. "Oh, sure, sure, I'm alright. Cold, but I'll live."

"Well you know what, you got me. I mean, I would've had a fit but I must admit, I am impressed."

Julia smiled at him, shivering slightly and pulling her jacket tightly around her. "Don't be silly, hun, it's to be expected. I was reckless. I will make it through this weekend like I promised."

"Well, I am impressed, baby. And I must say, you do look cute with my shirt on your head."

Julia blushed and nudged him playfully, surprising him when--30 minutes later--she suggested they continue their hike and see what else might be around. Anthony smiled as they laced their fingers together, glancing inconspicuously at her as she pointed out the different birds flying overhead, feeling his heart swell with pride.


	5. Chapter 5

Afternoon rolled around, and Julia and Anthony had already headed back to camp after their morning hike. They'd come across another pond--Anthony peeking in this time--and had found no fish, so they decided to just eat what they'd brought and enjoy themselves. 

"Smells so good" Julia said happily, snuggling beside Anthony as they ate their soup and sat beside one another on the grass. The sun was, by this point, high in the sky, and thankfully had warmed them up considerably, and she smiled to herself as she ate her lunch, proud that she hadn't given up yet.

"Chili and rice, a recipe courtesy of Dondi. I'll admit, I practiced it before I shared it with you" Anthony said, taking a hearty spoonful.

"Don't be modest, you're a great cook, Anthony. Me, on the other hand--"

"Hey now, you make a mean fried chicken!"

"That can't sustain a man forever" Julia said, shaking her head.

"No, but that body can" he replied, throwing her a saucy look.

"Anthony!" she said, biting back a smirk as he dissolved into a fit of laughter.

"I worship at your temple" he said, bowing playfully as she blushed a bright shade of red. 

"You dirty little minx, I ought to write you up for that."

"Mm, punishment?" he said, cocking a brow at her.

"Oh, you cocky--" before Julia could say anything else, a bird swooped overhead and she saw something fall into her soup.

"AH!" she cried in surprise, chucking the bowl into the grass without even thinking. Anthony jumped beside her, furrowing his brow as he walked over to where the bowl lay in the grass and said, "Welp, looks like you'll need another lunch."

"Huh?" she said, leaning forward curiously.

"Bird droppings" he replied, surveying her soup. 

"You're kidding."

Anthony walked back over to where she was, and handed her his bowl. "No I'm not, and here you go. We'll have to share this cause we don't have enough to eat more now and last through the weekend. There is that gas station a few miles back, but I don't suppose you want any candy bars or chips to eat."

Julia looked down guiltily and attempted to hand the bowl back to him. "No, Anthony--"

He gently shoved it back into her hands and shook his head. "Yes Julia, you've made an honest go of things and have just been hit by your second stroke of bad luck without so much as a well-deserved cry. You will eat my lunch."

Julia hesitated before slumping her shoulders in defeat and taking his lunch from him, trying to eat sparingly despite Anthony's continued insistence that she eat her fair share. After they had finished, Anthony wrapped his arm around Julia's shoulders and looked at her gently. 

"You are one tough cookie" he said teasingly, watching her giggle and shake her head.

"You must be starving" she said guiltily, still feeling bad for accepting any of his meal.

Anthony cocked a brow at her and said, "Moi? Oh contraire, I am a man's man, remember?"

She giggled, giving him a kiss and leaning against him as they watched a few birds scatter across the sky. They passed the remainder of their afternoon talking and exploring, Anthony doing his best to ignore his growling stomach as night fell and dinner time rolled around. He laid a few strips of bacon in the cast iron he'd brought with them and set it on the hot plate as Julia retrieved the silverware they would need and spooned the vegetables he'd just cooked onto their plates. 

"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" she asked softly as she sat down next to him on the grass.

Anthony mulled this over for a moment and said, "Well, no diving or soup, but aside from that, we can do as you please, my love."

Julia nudged him and said, "Well, you know what? How about a hike? I mean a real hike this time, up into dense part of the forest we passed earlier. It's no mountain, but it will give us more of a challenge than our little walk in the woods."

"Uh, Julia," Anthony said, raising his brows at her, "no offense, but you've had enough challenges today."

Julia shot him a snarky look and said firmly, "I'm serious, Anthony, if we're out here then I want us to do everything you always wanted to do as a little boy. Now I've done my part and stuck it out even when things got ugly, the least you can do is take me hiking."

Anthony sighed, knowing there was no way to talk her out of the idea. Once Julia's mind was made up, it usually stayed that way, so he studied her carefully before he said, "Okay baby, if you really want to go hiking then we'll go hiking for real."

Julia smiled excitedly and giggled as she went back to eating her dinner. Anthony, for his part, had not really planned out any real hiking activities because--in truth--he hadn't even been convinced he could drag Julia out here, but now that she was on her second night with him in the wilderness, he was starting to wonder if he might just be bested by his own girlfriend. As embarrassing as that thought was, as he watched her now, humming happily to herself in the grass next to him as she watched the sun go down, he found it more endearing than anything else.


	6. Chapter 6

Anthony blinked groggily as he rolled over, his brain already calculating that it was very early morning as he slowly awoke. It was still dark outside, the morning dew was glistening on their tent, and for a moment he was curious as to what had woken him. As he blinked slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness inside their tent, he caught sight of Julia, hunched over their supplies, fiddling with a flashlight. He furrowed his eyebrows, attempting to deduce what she was doing, as she clicked it on and smiled happily to herself. 

"Julia...?" he asked groggily, seeing her spin around in surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry darlin', did I wake you?"

"Sort of...what, um...what're you doin?" he asked, looking at her curiously.

She turned further toward him, smiling excitedly as she said, "Well, I couldn't fall back asleep, so I decided to check the battery packs in our flashlights for our hike!"

Anthony felt slightly bewildered, and narrowed his eyes as he said, "Oh, well...we ain't going hiking yet, Columbo."

Julia threw him a snarky look and said, "I know that, Anthony, I meant that we should have them so we can use later, you know, to peek into any hollow trees or inside of burrows or something. You never know, it could come in handy." 

Anthony cocked a brow as he rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes. "You're a wild woman, you know that?"

Julia giggled, setting the flashlight back into their bag and nestling herself beside him. "I try; I like to do something unpredictable every now and again, just to keep you on your toes."

"Hmm" Anthony hummed, at this point almost regretting taking her so far out of her element. He hadn't exactly planned for her to sow all her wild oats in the wilderness; he just wanted to inject a little excitement into their relationship, not come home with a whole new girlfriend. He was about to entertain another silent complaint when he felt her nestle her head against his hand and close her eyes, holding him as she drifted slowly back to sleep. Anthony peeked curiously at her, a slow smile creeping over his face as he saw her--so quiet and innocent looking--laying beside him.

They awoke a few hours later, the sun having now stretched over the horizon, allowing its rays to illuminate their surroundings. This time, it was Anthony who awoke first, crawling quietly out of the tent to make some breakfast for them, Julia emerging about 15 minutes later, happily accepting the oatmeal he offered her. He smiled to himself as she talked to him, pondering about how their hike would go, what they might find, how long they should stay out. Eventually, she veered into stories from her and Suzanne's childhood, recounting a few (failed) attempts at wilderness excursions put forth by the two of them when they were younger. Naturally, Suzanne was the first to give up the ghost and trek back home, Julia eventually relenting and following close behind her, always silently relieved to be going back home, but also glad that she was not the first one to do so. Inwardly, even now, she had to admit that this would not be her first (or even second or third) choice of activity, but she had surprised herself so far by maintaining her composure and toughing it out, and she hated the thought of throwing in the towel now. Of course, she was also wise to how proud Anthony was, and she did not want to do anything to disappoint him. 

"You need help over there?" Anthony said, watching Julia struggle to get their backpack closed up for their hike. It was now a few hours after breakfast, and Julia had suggested they set off. Anthony had brought a back pack just in case, filled with emergency supplies and extra snacks should the need arise. Now, the need was staring him in the face, in the form of Julia, who was getting ready excitedly.

Julia turned around, smiling breathlessly as she hoisted it into her arms and handed it to him proudly. "No darlin', we're all set, I made sure we've got everything we need."

Anthony hesitated, still wondering if he should try to talk her out of going before looking up at her, seeing her face beaming with excitement as she looked at the sky. He smiled, took her hand, and they set off into the woods, the twigs and leaves crunching loudly underfoot. Julia had a flashlight in her hands, stopping every so often to shine it into the hollow of a tree or in a burrow to see if she could see anything interesting. So far she had managed to scatter a few squirrels and one raccoon, but otherwise they'd seen nothing remarkable. 

Anthony looked up and saw that their path was leading to a large, hilly clearing, and that likely some parts of the area would require a certain level of precision to navigate safely. He grabbed Julia's arm gently, remembering the incident at the lake and trying to ensure there would be no repeats of that fiasco.

"Okay baby, listen, this clearing is pretty hilly, so we gotta make sure we're careful out here. Now I'm serious, I don't want you gettin' hurt" he said, looking at her intently.

Julia looked at him like an impertinent child, but nodded her head and said, "Yes Anthony, I know, I promise I will be careful. In fact, I was going to suggest that you lead the way."

He took her advice and started down the hill, choosing the path with the most rocks and grooves so their boots could get ample traction. Slowly, they tread down the side of the hill, dodging gentle swipes from the branches above their heads, the sunlight beaming warmly down on their backs. Anthony waited until he got to a good stopping point to check his watch.

"You hungry, Julia?" he asked, looking at her as she came up behind him on the trail. 

"Oh, well sure, I wouldn't mind a little something, you want to just sit down here?" she said, looking at the sandy trail beneath them which, for the most part, was relatively smooth and comfortable looking.

"Sure" Anthony said, shrugging as he sat down and opened the backpack. They nibbled thoughtfully on some granola bars and dried fruit, making sure to drink enough water as well before Julia suggested they continue on their way. 

About an hour later, they were still walking, the sun now higher in the sky, bringing some much needed warmth to the outdoors. The night before had been particularly chilly, and Anthony had awoken at some point in the middle of the night, huddling close to Julia before drifting back to sleep. He glanced over at her as he saw her look up, pointing at the large flock of birds that was now swooping over their heads.

"Look Anthony, how beautiful is that?"

Anthony looked up and saw them, flying low, their dark wings fluttering swiftly as they moved across the sky. 

"Wow, I never thought I'd see something like this up close" he said in amazement. 

Julia lifted up her binoculars, intending to get a closer look at them before it was too late. "This is really something else; I wish I had a camera so I could--"

Before she could say anything else, she let out a gasp as she stumbled and fell to the forest floor, hitting the trail with a loud thud and sending a cloud of dirt up around her. 

Anthony rushed forward, touching her gently as he got to his knees and said, "Julia! You okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

He glanced down, looking for any tears in her clothing when he heard a small sniffle escape her lips and looked up to see her wipe away a single tear as she tried to force a smile onto her face.

"Julia...?" he asked slowly, silently panicking at the thought of her being injured in the woods so far from home.

Her lip quivered as another tear fell, and she wiped at it before sniffling again and saying, "Nope, I'm okay" in a small shaky voice, brushing at her pants in an attempt to get the dirt off. 

Anthony hesitated before gently lifting her chin and looking into her eyes as he asked softly, "Baby, you're not having any fun, are you?"

She hesitated before looking down, crying softly as she said, "No, Anthony, no I'm not."

"Well...well, that's okay, Julia" he said gently, rubbing her arm gingerly as he sat down beside her. 

"No it's not," she said disappointedly, "you're having so much fun out here and I've just about loused everything up."

Anthony watched sympathetically as she wiped at her face again, wiping the dirt off of her clothes and trying her damnedest not to have a complete breakdown. He hesitated before wrapping an arm around her shoulders, waiting until she looked up at him before he said, "Listen, I wanna tell you somethin', but only if you promise to never, never, ever tell anyone else, okay?"

"What?" Julia asked softly, furrowing her brow in confusion and feeling a slight throbbing in her knees.

"I ain't havin' any fun neither" he said plainly, looking her straight in her eyes and watching her face shift with surprise.

"Anthony--that's--you're making that up to make me feel better, I know I've ruined your time out here with my clumsiness and I'm sorry--"

Anthony held up a hand and shook his head as he said, "Baby, I'm cold, I'm tired, I've watched you about make yourself crazy trying to have fun, and--to be honest--I haven't gotten any sleep since we got out here."

Julia raised her brows in surprise as she said, "Why Anthony, well...why on earth didn't you tell me?"

He looked her straight in her eyes as he said, "Because I thought you were having fun."

She bit her lip, pausing as she glanced down briefly before looking at him and saying, "Well, darlin', I'm not, I'm sorry. I tried, I really did try..."

"I know, baby" he said gently, wiping a smear of dirt off of her face. 

She lowered her head, looking at the dirt that had been displaced by her fall as she said, "I guess I'm just not all that good at being exciting", feeling deeply disappointed in herself.

"Are you kidding?" Anthony said, looking at her carefully. "Julia, you're the one that insisted we leave our campsite after breakfast to come out here and traipse through Narnia; I was worried I was gonna come back with a whole new woman!"

"Well I thought you wanted to" she protested. 

"Hell naw!" Anthony exclaimed shaking his head. "No, this may have been my foolish suggestion, but my idea of a good time is watching you fall asleep on my chest while watching some TV, I don't ever want to do this again."

"Well...well, Anthony, why on earth didn't you say something?" Julia asked, feeling rather bewildered. 

Now it was Anthony's turn to look at the ground bashfully. He hesitated before he said quietly, "To be honest...I didn't want you to think of me as less of a man for wanting to go home."

Julia looked at him tenderly, her head jerking upward suddenly when she heard a slight grumble of thunder in the distance. She put her hand on his knee and said, "Come on, darlin', let's find a nice hotel, and then figure out why you and I were foolish enough to do this in the first place."

Anthony nodded his head in agreement, helping her to her feet and making sure she was alright before they began their trek back to their campsite. An hour and a half later they finally saw the top of their tent in the distance, both of them heaving a sigh of relief, and quickly gathered up their things, loaded them into the trunk of Anthony's car, and headed back onto the highway, Julia directing Anthony to the first hotel on their map, thinking excitedly about the shower that she would now be able to take. 

They pulled swiftly into the parking lot and walked inside, attracting a few odd looks from the staff due to their disheveled appearance as they grabbed their key cards and walked quickly to their room, taking only the essentials and whatever clean clothes they had with them. 


	7. Chapter 7

Julia breathed a sigh of relief as the first streams of hot water hit her body as she stood in the shower, frantically soaping herself down, desperate to restore the clean, freshly-washed feeling she was used to that days of sleeping outside had robbed her of. She stepped out of the shower, satisfied that she was clean, and realized that it was mid-day Sunday, and that tomorrow they'd be due back at Sugarbaker's. She supposed they could either spend the night here, or simply take a few hours rest before heading back home for the night. 

She stepped out of the bathroom, watching Anthony leap up at the knowledge that it was his turn to bathe, and she smiled to herself as she heard him humming happily to himself a few minutes later as he showered. 

Finally, the door opened and Anthony emerged, seeing Julia laying sleepily in the bed under what he thought were likely the nicest bed sheets he'd ever seen. Truthfully, he knew they were likely no better than any other sheets, but he supposed their cramped tent and the modest fabric of his sleeping bag could make anything seem like a luxury. He slid in beside her as she said softly, "You know we'll probably have to head on back tonight. We've got work tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know," he said quietly, stroking her forearm, "I figured we'd enjoy these sheets and a hot meal downstairs before we shove off."

She giggled softly, studying him for a moment before she said quietly, "Anthony, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah baby, what is it?" he said amiably.

"...Why did you want to take me camping so badly?" 

Anthony hesitated, trying to figure out what to say as he stammered, "Well...well, I mean, you know, Julia, when I was a kid--uh--"

"Anthony," Julia said quietly but firmly, "I want the truth, hun."

Anthony looked at her carefully before he lowered his eyes and tried to figure out what to say before finally exhaling and saying, "Because I didn't want you to leave me like my mom did."

At this, Julia sat up in shock, her mouth dropping open as she said, "Anthony...", unable to figure out what else to say to him.

Anthony shrugged simply and said, "Well, it's the truth. I was trying to be exciting for you because, you know, we've been together forever now and, well, my mom left because things just weren't exciting enough when I was growing up and I know how it is--"

"Anthony," Julia said firmly, placing a firm hand on his arm and shaking him so he would look at her, "you do not have to be anyone for me, I love you just the way you are."

Anthony shook his head and rolled onto his back as he said, "No, you just don't understand Julia. Who I am has never been good enough for anyone. I have always--and I mean always--had to be better than who I was for anyone to love me. It only makes sense that I would have to be better for you too." 

Julia felt her chest tighten with sadness as she looked him and said, "Anthony, now that is not true. You know that I--and Dondi, and everyone else--love you just the way you are, and you do not have to pretend to be, or try to be, anyone else for any of us. What your mother did had nothing to do with you."

"Well why'd she leave then?" Anthony asked softly, looking over at her, his eyes revealing the sad, damaged kid that still lay under the tough, manly exterior. 

Julia bit her lip, rubbing his face with her hand and pausing before she said, "Your mama left you for the same reason Reese hurt me--because not everyone that occupies our hearts is strong enough to love us. Some people are only there to teach us, so we can become who we were meant to be."

Anthony looked away, feeling his eyes welling up with tears as he felt Julia lean closer to him and stroke his hair, turning to look at her again as she said, "Who you are is who you were supposed to be, because only that you was made to love me."

He hesitated, thinking over what she said before reaching out his arms toward her and hugging her tightly, pulling her down onto his chest and kissing the top of her head. 

Julia squeezed him tightly, waiting a few minutes before she said, "I love you more than anything in the world, Anthony, and I mean that." 

He felt a few tears fall from her eyes onto his shoulder as he kissed her again and said, "I love you too, baby."

She sat up, brushing the tears from her cheeks as she said, "Darlin', I wish you would have told me how you felt a long time ago. You know, you can always tell me anything."

"I know, Julia" Anthony said, feeling somewhat embarrassed over such a heartfelt admission. He was not at all used to opening up to anyone, and even two years into his relationship with Julia, he still found it hard to confide in her at times. He generally resorted to the tactic that had served him best over the years of his life: bottling things up and distracting himself with work, hobbies, or anything else he could think to do until the feeling passed. Sometimes even just being with Julia was a distraction, and he could lose himself in her as he watched her talk excitedly about something, or listened to her tell him a funny story about something that happened at the office while he was gone. 

Julia studied him carefully, knowing what he was thinking as she laid a hand on his chest and said, "Darlin', have there been times when you felt sad, or upset, and you didn't tell me because you were ashamed to?"

Anthony shifted uncomfortably under the blanket, shrugging slightly as he mumbled, "Mm, I guess so, maybe, sometimes I did."

"Anthony, you need to be honest with me. This is serious. I need to know that you can talk to me, and if you can't, then I'd like to know what I can do to change that. Is it anything I've done?" she asked worriedly.

"No, no baby," he said, reaching toward her and stroking her knee, "it's just sometimes, I...I don't know, Julia, it's just me, I don't really know how to sit down with someone and say, 'Hey, I've had a bad day, can I talk to you?'"

Julia looked sympathetically down at him and nodded her head as she said, "I know what you mean. Payne is that way. Quiet and mysterious like his father. He doesn't open up a lot, and well, sometimes I still have to push him to get the truth out of him."

"Well at least that makes two of us" Anthony said wryly, shaking his head.

He felt Julia grab his hand, stroking it gently as she said, "Darlin', what I'm saying is, you're not an aberration, this is just how you are. And that's okay. But what I do believe is that you'd like to change it, even just a little."

He looked away shyly as he heard her say, "You don't have to become a whole new person overnight, Anthony. But I think that you've told me what you told me tonight because you were testing the waters a little, and deep inside, I think you do want to talk to me more about how you're feeling."

Anthony nodded slowly as he said, "Yeah, yeah I guess I would like that. I mean, every once in a while, maybe."

"I'm not going to force you to, darlin'. You have to decide for yourself what you want to tell me, but I am sitting here tonight, looking you in your eyes, and saying that I'm here for you if there's anything you want to tell me, now, or in the future. You can always come to me Anthony, even about the small things."

"Are you sure?" Anthony said, cocking a brow at her.

"Positive" she replied, smiling tenderly at him.

Anthony reached out, pulling her closer to him again as he joked, "Well okay, but just so you know, I'm a whole mess of childhood trauma, so this whole telling-you-my-feelings business could take a while for me to get used to."

Julia giggled softly and swatted his chest gently as she said, "I'm fine with waiting, Anthony, that doesn't scare me."

"Well okay" he replied. "And just so you know, I'm here if you--"

"Anthony, you and I know well enough that all I do is talk about how I feel, and I may be wise to shut up every once in a while so you can get some airtime."

Anthony laughed as he squeezed her tightly, silently thanking the universe for giving him such a wonderful girlfriend. After about an hour of laying under the covers and relaxing, they got hungry and wandered downstairs to share a dinner in the dining room. Then, they slowly grabbed their things and headed back to the car, handing their room keys to the girl at the counter and sliding behind the wheel of Anthony's car as they drove off into the night. Anthony figured he'd just drop Julia off at home, help her unpack her things, and then mosey on home alone but Julia had other ideas, and told him as much when--as he was calling out to her that he should be getting on home--she emerged from her bathroom in a silk negligee and a sleek pair of black heels. As she kissed him teasingly he silently thanked himself for having the good sense to always keep a change of clothes in his car, work suits included.


	8. Chapter 8

"Goodness, what a day!" Julia exclaimed, slumping wearily on the sofa. The first day of the week was almost always a busy one, but today had flown by in a flurry of invoices and hastily returned calls, with new clients coming in and current ones calling to check on their accounts. Charlene and Mary Jo nodded in agreement from their desks and Suzanne stood behind the counter, slowly sipping what must've been her umpteenth coffee of the day. 

Julia tucked her arm around Anthony's and subtly nestled herself against him, trying not to draw attention to herself and him in front of the others. She always maintained a strict code of professional behavior in the office, and was determined that no inappropriate displays of affection occur in front of the others, but for some reason, she felt an urge to drop her guard--if only slightly--today. 

"Y'all have fun on your trip?" Charlene asked cheekily, seeing Julia blush and release Anthony's arm self-consciously as she grinned at them. 

"Yes, Charlene" Anthony said, throwing her a look, already knowing she intended to pry regardless of his tone.

"Camping, I don't believe it" Mary Jo chuckled as she walked over to the sofa and plopped herself in the armchair beside it. 

"Well, we made it regardless of what you _believe_ " Julia said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"Surprised y'all didn't give up, to be honest" Suzanne piped up. "You know, Julia, you had me fooled. I never thought you'd even last a day; told Mary Jo and Charlene that too."

Julia bit her lip, her heart fluttering slightly at the memory of their sojourn out of the forest the previous afternoon, but she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and said, "Yeah, well, just goes to show you all don't know what I'm capable of. And, for the record, Anthony did just as well as I out there."

"Yeah, but him we figure" Mary Jo said teasingly. "The guy survived jail time, a little tent is nothing to Anthony."

Julia turned her head slowly to look at Anthony and he nodded hastily, trying to affect a calm, collected demeanor. "Oh, well, um, yeah Mary Jo, you're right, I mean what's the difference between a tent and prison?" he asked as jovially as possible, the laugh he let out verging on hysterics. 

"Well, I'm leaving" Suzanne announced, jumping to her feet and sailing toward the door. Mary Jo and Charlene followed behind her, all of them calling their goodbyes as they trudged out the door. 

Julia turned to Anthony, feeling him grab her from behind and wrap an arm around her waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder. She giggled softly and said, "Yes darlin'?"

"I love you, Julia" he said, kissing her shoulder.

She bit her lip and said, "I love you too, Anthony. Did you have a good day?"

"A great one" he said, looking her in her eyes and smiling at her.

Outside, Suzanne, Mary Jo, and Charlene all walked down Julia's front steps and headed for their cars. Charlene and Mary Jo turned to look at Suzanne, and before they could say anything, she said, "I know what you're wondering, and yes, they're lying. I know Julia well enough to know. No way they made it that whole weekend."

"What makes you so sure?" Mary Jo asked curiously, widening her eyes in anticipation.

Suzanne smirked and said, "Because, I got a peek at Anthony's wallet when he left it on the storeroom table. The receipt for the hotel was still inside."

"Suzanne!" Charlene cried. "I can't believe you went through Anthony's wallet.

"Hey listen, I let em have their victory, okay? They'll never know." 

Charlene glanced at Mary Jo, who smirked in return, and they bid one another goodnight again before sliding behind the wheels of their cars and driving off into the night. 


End file.
